Apparatus for treating air and other gases



Nov. 11 1924.

W. A. DARRAH APPARATUS FOR TREATING AIR AND OTHER GASES Original FiledJuly' 29. 92 2 Sheets-Sheet l I Vinny/J JIIIIIIIIF W/ wvass PatentedNov. ll, i924.

UNTTEE STATES WILLIAM A. DARE/AH,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING AIR AND OTHER GASES.

Substitute for application Serial No. 578,516, filed July 29, 1922'.This application filled June 7, 1924. Serial No. 719,195.-

1 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. DARRAH, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement inApparatus for Treating Air and Other Gases, of which the following isthe specifications.

This invention relates to equipment and methods for treating air andother gases. The equipment is particularly applicable to cooling andwashing air which is required in the manufacture of bread, other foodproducts,-and for such applications as require clean, dry, cool air,substantially free from bacteria and otherorganisms.

Some of the objects of this invention are to secure a high efiiciency ofcooling and washing the air with the use of a relatively small amount ofwater or brine. Another object is to use the water or brine efiectively,so that the greatest amount of cooling will be accomplished with theminimum amount of cooling material.

Other objects of this invention are to provide an equipment which willconsume comparatively little power, which will be rel ativelyinexpensive in proportion to the work done, and which will be rugged,accessible, and durable. It is also desired to provide equipment Whichwill deliver air in a form which is free from drops of entrainedmoisture or other liquids. If desired, I may a ply this equipment to thetreatment of otlier gases than air, the operation being substantiallyidentical.

One of the particular applications of this invention is in connectionwith various applications relating to the manufacture of bread and theintroduction of cold, clean air into the dough.

Referrin to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a si e elevation partly insection, of.

this equipment, while Figure 2 shows 3.

5 (7). Rotating blade member (8 is keyed longitudinal elevation alsopartly in secupon shaft (5) and rotates in housing (9) which is alsomounted on base (1). A chain drive (10) connects shaft (5) with pump(11) which serves to keep the cooling liquid in circulation.

Rotating blade member (8) which is mounted on shaft (5) draws in air orother gases through opening (12) to the shaft (5). The air acted upon bycentrifugal forces passes radially outward through blade member (8) intospiral channel (13). The air then travels circumferentially aroundspiral duct (13), leaving by outlet (14). The air then enters the tankcasting (15), which for mechanical purposes may be to advantage mountedupon base (1). From tank casting (15) the air asses upward and intospray chamber (16 in which are located spraying nozzles (17). Afterleaving spray chamber (16) the air passes through deflecting baffles(18) to outlet' (19), from whence it is delivered to whatever source mayrequire it. Collecting cup (20) is located in the lower portion of spraychamber (16), and serves to collect the moisture which falls from spraymember (17) downward. Moisture collected in 'cup (20) passes throughhollow legs (21), (22), etc., into channel (23), from whence it is ledinto box (24:) of lower shell.

The water which passes through channel (23) into box (24) of the lowershell collects until a level is reached in shell (24) such that therotating blade member (8) strikes it. When struck by blade member (8)the water is immediately divided into a very fine spray and travelscircumferentially through spiral duct (13), being carried by therotation of member (8). During this period the finely divided water'isintimately mixed with the air which enters housing (9) at inlet (26).This preliminary mixing serves to give the air a preliminary washing andcooling, using the water or brine which has already given the air itsfinal washing and cooling.

The spray which travels through E iral duct (13) and serves to wash andcoo the air driven by blade (8) is largely collected in the lowerportion (27 of housing (13). The water-which collects in the lowerportion (27) of housing (13), is connected by outlet pipe (28) to pumpmember (11), which may return the water to the cooling tank or dischargeit to the drain, according 1 to commercial conditions. A portion of thefine spray in the air will pass with the air currents through outletcasting (14) into spray chamber (16 and will be entirely removed fromtheair in passing through baffles (18). These baffles are shown in sideelevation in Figure 1, and a detail plan view partly in section is shownin Figure 4.

Pipe member 25 is provided in air inlet (26) to permit the directaddition of water to rotating member (8). The hub portion (29) ofrotating member (8) is given a curved shape to deflect the water addedthrough pipe (25). The curved shape of hub member (29) together with theeffect of centrifugal force, serves to deflect the spray toward theperiphery of member (8) in such a manner that it strikes the housing ofrotating member (28) several times. This serves to produce an extremelyfine spray which causes the water to expose a much greater surface tothe air, thus more effectively cooling and washing the air.

Referring to the method of operating this equipment, it will be evidentthat this invention makes use of what may be called a counter currentmethod of employing water or brine to cool and wash the air. As far as Iam aware, it is customary in air treating equipment to submit the sprayof liquid to the air only once, after which the liquid is collected,subjected to a further cooling, and recirculated or new liquid added. Inthe device which comprises my invention, however, the cold, clean liquidis used to cool and wash the air immediately before it leaves thedevice, while the liquid which is collected from this operation is thenpassed into the blower and serves to give the entering air a preliminarycooling and washing.

This system not only results in a decided economy in the use of thecooling liquid,

' but also requires a lesser temperature difference between the enteringliquid and the entering air to produce a given final result. Also,because of the greater contact between the air and the liquid, a morecompact equipment'may be employed.

In some cases it has been found satisfactory to omit the use of spraymembers (17), thereby saving materially in equipment and size ofapparatus. v

In certain cases, on the other hand, it is expedient to use the blowermember merely to circulate the air and permit the spray member to do themajor part of the cooling and washing.

It will be understood that while this de vice has been described for usein cooling and washing airit may be applied to cooling and warming airby merely employing a warm liquid instead of a cold li uid. It will befurther understood that this device may be used with any suitableliquid.

Water is probably the most satisfactory liquid for the average purpose,but brine may be used with equal satisfaction, or in certain cases oilsor liquids which do not mix with water may be employed. One advantage inthe use of a liquid which does not mix with water is the fact that ifthe liquid is maintained very cold, water whichsists in blowing said airthrough a spray chamber, washin said air in said spray chamber with aliquid spray, collecting the liquid spray after washing said air, anddirecting said collected spray into the blower member for preliminarytreatment of said air.

2. An apparatus for treatin air, which consists of a blower, a spray camber connected thereto, a battle member adjacent to said spray chamber,means for introducing liquid into said spray chamber, means for carryingthe used spray liquid into, said fan member, means for atomizing saidspray in said fan member, and a trap member for gollecting said sprayfrom said fan mem- 3. .An apparatus for treating air, consisting of aspray chamber, a spray nozzle for producing a fine spray insaid chamber,a fan member deliverin chamber, means for co lecting-the spray in saidchamber, a passage communicating between said spray chamber and said fanfor delivering said collected spray to said fan.

.WILLIAM A. DARRAH.

air to said spray

